European Parliament ends misleading air fares

3.16.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 9th Jul 2008

Air travellers will soon be able to see at a glance exactly what they have to pay for their tickets, as the European Parliament approved new EU rules. Air fares as displayed will have to include all taxes, fees and charges such as booking fees and fuel surcharges added to the basic ticket price.

This will put an end to the misleading practice of specifying only the basic price at the initial stage of the ticket purchase and will particularly apply to internet sales.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford commented:

"The practice of promoting "1 or 2 euro flights' when the price is in reality much higher is at best confusing and at worst wilfully deceptive. With fuel surcharges proliferating, it is essential that travellers know exactly how much they will be paying from the word go."

"This legislation will help ensure price transparency and improve customer confidence. No longer will airlines be able to lure people with what appear to be low fares and conveniently tell them the true cost only at the very end of the process, a technique perfected by low cost airlines over recent years.

The regulation is due to come into effect by early next year. In addition to the pricing of flights it will also place tighter controls on airline finances to protect passengers' rights in the event of a carrier going bankrupt.